Erik ten Hag on Jadon Sancho’s UEFA Champions League heroics – ‘He showed why Manchester United bought him’

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praised Jadon Sancho for his performance as Borussia Dortmund opened up a 1-0 lead over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Niclas Fullkrug scored the only goal of the game but it was Sancho who grabbed the headlines, with TNT Sports expert Rio Ferdinand pleased to see the “arrogance” and “swagger” return to his game.

Sancho joined his former club on loan in January from Manchester United after a public falling out with Ten Hag, but the Dutchman is happy to see the 24-year-old thriving.

Speaking to the media ahead of United’s clash with Crystal Palace on Monday, Ten Hag said: “So let's say this, yesterday he [Sancho] played very good and he's a very good player. Yesterday he showed why Manchester United bought him and he showed he represents a high value for Manchester United, which is good.

“I'm happy for Jadon, for the performance yesterday, and we'll see what is going to happen in the future.”

Ten Hag also gave an update on his injury-ravaged squad. Already without a number of key players, he added that he could be without Scott McTominay and captain Bruno Fernandes for the trip to Selhurst Park.

“Scott [McTominay] didn't train so far this week but I expect him back in training on Saturday and we have to see if he's 100% available or for a part of the game,” Ten Hag added.

“After the game [against Burnley], we had an issue with Bruno [Fernandes]. He is a doubt for Monday. We all know Bruno, never rule him out for any game. He will do his best to be available.

“Jonny Evans returned today for team training. Tomorrow we are off and then two days until the game. [Anthony] Martial was partly in team training.”

United are sixth in the Premier League, six points adrift of Tottenham in fifth, with just four games left to play in what has been a turbulent campaign.

While qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League is out of reach, a spot in the Europa League is still a possibility if they can catch and pass Spurs or beat local rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Ten Hag’s future beyond that remains the subject of speculation, with new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe expected to decide one way or the other when the season draws to a close, but the Dutchman has already begun planning for the summer transfer window.

“[There's] always a lot of work, it's normal when you go into a transfer window, but the injuries had a big impact,” he continued.

“We know also we are still below the levels from the expectations Manchester United has so we have to catch up and I'm now going into my fifth window - two windows quite OK, two we missed - so we have to make new improvements to the squad.

“But there is a base of this squad that is very good.”

TNT Sports expert Rio Ferdinand was among those impressed by Jadon Sancho's display against PSG.

Ferdinand says it is great to see the 24-year-old hitting peak form again.

"He was shaking and baking top players," he told TNT Sports. "He’s making people dance. It was a joke what he has done today.

"We haven’t seen this probably since he was at Dortmund. He isn’t just a dribbler, he isn't somebody who just runs and runs.

"He’s a footballer who wants to come in and play one-twos, be part of the game and the tempo. The arrogance is a great point as well, what I saw today more than anything which I’ve been waiting to see, and all other Man Utd fans have been thinking ‘Where is it?’

"I saw cage football Sancho today. This is the kid who grew up in cages with that arrogance and that little bit of swagger. I’ve been sitting here saying it’s there, but we haven’t seen it."

Ferdinand also added that Manchester United supporters will be wondering why Sancho failed to turn out these kind of performances during his time with the club.

"He’s in the groove," he continued. "When someone gets in the groove, we see it in different sports. When they’re in the groove and the confidence is there, they churn these performances out.

"He will come off this pitch on a high, we’ll see all these people going on about it on social media, and love it, and rightly so. I hate to go back, but I want to know what happened at Man Utd. Why didn’t it go well there?

"That’s what the frustration used to be at Man Utd. He’s not doing that, beating people, facing the defender up and going ‘Right, I’m going to go past you.’

"Also, the physicality of the Premier League. Was that an issue? I don’t know. There are so many different things you look at and think what it could be, only Jadon can tell us that.

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